Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Florina’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Florina’ characterized by its small sized blooms with yellow ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 27-October 3 (Week 40); blooming for a period of 4 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Florina’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoorpot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating newchrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a natural seasonflower date around September 27-October 3 (week 40); blooming for aperiod of 4 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises anew and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant. ‘Florina’ is aseedling resulting from a crossing program, which was set up by aprevious breeder, and which records are unknown to the inventor. The newand distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plantby Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout Holland in2001. The first act of asexual production of ‘Florina’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in 2001in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, Holland, and propagatedfurther at this location. The new cultivar has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum isshown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true aspossible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classificationChrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements weregathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under naturalday length and temperature and planted week 24 in 2004. The naturalblooming date of this crop was September 27-October 3 (week 40). Theaverage height of the plants was 25 cms. No growth retardants were used.No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. Notests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety producessmall sized blooms with yellow ray florets and a yellow center bloomingfor a period of 4 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Florina’ is ‘Juno’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,532). When‘Juno’ and ‘Florina’ are being compared the following similarities anddifferences are noticed. Both varieties have small sized yellow daisytype blooms. (1) Bloom size. The blooms of ‘Florina’ are larger thanthose of ‘Juno’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Florina’ as a new and distinct variety. The colordesignations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of chrysanthemum plant ‘FLORINA’ Bud SizeSmall; cross-section 0.5 cm height 0.5 cm Outside Color Green 139BInvolucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bractsamong Not present disc-florets Involucral bracts color Green 139B BloomType Daisy Height 0.5 cm Size Small Fully Expanded 3.5 cm Pedunclelength 5.5 cm Peduncle color Green 138B Number of blooms per branchApprox. 7 blooms per branch Performance on the plant 4 weeks SeedsProduced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length.Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly sweet Color Center of theflower (disc-florets) Immature Yellow-orange 14A with dot of Green 143CMature Yellow 13A Color of upper surface of the ray- Yellow 12A floretsColor of the lower surface of the Yellow 12B ray-florets Tonality fromDistance A garden mum with yellow flowers and a yellow discDiscoloration to color Yellow 12A Ray florets Texture Upper and underside smooth Number 40 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of majorityStraight Length of corolla tube 0.3 cm Ray-floret margin EntireRay-floret length 1.5 cm Ray-floret width 0.4 cm Ratio length/width HighShape of tip Pointed Disc florets Disc diameter 1 cm Distribution ofdisc florets Numerous, clearly visible at all stages of flowering ShapeTubular Receptacle shape Conical raised Reproductive Organs StamenPresent in disc florets only Stamen color Yellow-green 144A PollenPresent Pollen color Yellow 7A Styles Thick Style color Yellow 13A StyleLength 4 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 154D Stigma Width 1 mm OvariesEnclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type potmum, outdoormounded and round Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate High Height25 cm Width 45 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown 199B Stem Strength Weak StemBrittleness Not brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Absent Internodelength 1.5-2 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 11 cmLateral branch color Yellow-green 144A Lateral branch, attachment Mediumstrength Branching (average number of Prolific with 10-12 breaks lateralbranches) after pinching Natural season blooming date SEPTEMBER27-OCTOBER 3 (WEEK 40) Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 138A-139ALower side Green 138A-138B Color midvein Upper side Yellow-green 147DLower side Yellow-green 148D Size Small.; length 3-3.5 cm, width 1.7-2cm Quantity (number per lateral 20 branch) Shape Ovate Texture upperside Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement PalmateShape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Between RoundedLateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Lateral Diverging Lobes Shape ofBase Acute Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.5 cm Petiole colorYellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties ‘Florina’ ‘Juno’ Bloomtype Daisy Daisy Size of mature bloom 3.5 cm 2.5-3 cm Color upper sideray-florets Yellow 12A Yellow 7A

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described andillustrated.